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Forget Your Child
Are You Ready for Kindergarten?
By Linda Sharp
Constantly bemoaning the fact that little Janie is becoming a big girl will not change the fact that she is. She is doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing: growing up, learning, moving forward. Let her. She cannot become a fully functioning child, adolescent, adult with a set of weepy parents agonizing over her every step. You have both worked for five years toward this milestone. Celebrate!
A big mistake so many parents make is in underestimating their child's ability to comprehend and process information. Children are intuitive, thoughtful, imaginative people and questions are always more scary than the answers that follow. Take advantage of orientation days and the fact that the schools are occupied with working administrators even before the school year gets under way. Walk them through their new environment so that first day is familiar, not foreign. And answer all questions honestly; don't fudge. Kids have built-in BS detectors.
It is natural for you to be talking – and be honest, whining – about this upcoming benchmark to every person you know, every check-out clerk you meet. Just try not to do it in front of your child. Let them be excited. You be a walking Kleenex out of earshot.
While you may think it is easier to simply make your way through the school supply aisle as quickly as possible (OK, it is), let your new kindergartner hold his list and choose his own crayons, markers, lunchbox, etc. You will reinforce that he is ready for more grownup endeavors that require decision making. So if he agonizes for 10 minutes over what color school box to buy, let him. If he is happy with his choices, he won't be able to wait to get them to school and show them off.